The Smugglers
by Amy of the Realm
Summary: Mostly about Jaina, this is after the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. I haven't read all of the NJO books yet :( , so some stuff might be wrong. Problems for the Jedi arrive in the Tatooine system... -More chapters soon to come-
1. Chapter 1

Jaina Solo watched the ships as they drew closer. There was one starship, light freighter class. Ideally, she would be crewed by at least four - pilot, copilot, navigator, and mechanic - but could easily be controlled by as few as two or even one. Two snub fighters, X-wings both, escorted her. Neither bore the markings of any squadron.  
  
Her own XJ3-wing, developed during the recent war against the Yuuzhan Vong, was sitting in the shadow of one of the moons of Borleias where she could get a visual of the incoming ships before they could see here. Their scanners would pick up her signal in a few minutes, but as of now they were blind.  
  
Her eyes drifted towards the starship, a sleek streamlined vessel. Her fingers twitched slightly, wanting to be at the helm in the pilot's chair. She knew that ship; she had flown it before. A faint beep on her console got her attention. She hit a switch on the comm, opening it up to the planet side frequency. "Solo here."  
  
"Need I remind you that all incoming ships need to be identified and processed before they can land?"  
  
"Sorry, General Antilles. I was distracted."  
  
"Don't give me that. You're floating in the dead of space. There's nothing around to distract you. Go."  
  
"Yes, sir." She hit the thrusters and opened of her comm, using her astromech to send the signal to the three ships. "As a formality, incoming ships please identify yourselves."  
  
"This is the captain of the Jade Shadow speaking. Jaina, is this all the escort we get?"  
  
"Sorry, Mara, but my people are flying drills on the night side of the planet. Wedge wants to see how well they can function without direction from me, just in case the worst happens."  
  
"It won't. Can I land?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Go ahead..."  
  
She followed the three ships to the coordinates ground control had supplied. She frowned slightly. One of the Shadow's engines wasn't working. The two X-wings bore black marks that could only be acquired in a space brawl. She reached out with the Force and recognized one of the ships as her brother. She patched a connection through to him. "Hey, Jacen, what the hell happened?"  
  
"I'm not entirely sure. Someone started shooting at us when we were leaving Tatooine. They had a few freighters and some snub fighters. I think they thought we were following them."  
  
"That's got a bad ring to it."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Right before we went into hyperspace, I reached towards one of the starships with the Force and there was something...familiar about it. I don't know what it was."  
  
"Hmm. I'll tell General Antilles to have someone look into it."  
  
********  
  
Back groundside, Jaina bypassed the usual power down checklist. She'd do it later. The landing ramp was coming down from the Shadow just as she got there. Out came a woman in her early forties followed by a man about the same age and a boy about two. The child ran past his parents to his older cousin. Jaina knelt to pick him up and hug him. "Hi, Ben!"  
  
"Jaya," he gurgled in typical toddler fashion. Jaina rolled her eyes at her uncle. "Haven't you taught him the real version of my name yet?" Luke Skywalker shrugged. "We tried. But we gave up."  
  
"Gee, thanks. By the way, what's this about being attacked while leaving Tatooine?"  
  
"Ah. Well, we were attacked."  
  
"So Jacen told me. Any idea who did it?"  
  
"Not the faintest idea."  
  
She nodded and glanced over at the two snub fighters that had been flying escort. Walking towards her were Jacen and Zekk, a Jedi and a childhood friend of hers. They waved, and she waved back. "How goes life in a post-war military?" Zekk asked. "What purpose can you possibly serve?" Jaina narrowed her eyes slightly in annoyance, but said nothing to the jibe. Instead, she turned to Jacen and said, "General Antilles wants to talk to you. I took the liberty of telling him about your little hairball when we were landing."  
  
"Me specifically?"  
  
"You or Zekk. He said that the great Jedi Masters probably had more important things to do, but you don't."  
  
"Whatever." The two left the hanger in the direction of Wedge's office. Jaina went back to her ship to finish going through the power down with Cappie, her astromech droid. 


	2. Chapter 2

Jaina was in the hanger within five minutes of hearing that her squadron had returned. She leaned against the wall by the door, watching the pilots as they powered down their ships and came out one by one. They were fast and efficient in shutting the systems down. That was good. In the past year, this group had increased their military effectiveness exponentially.  
  
She glanced around when she heard her name. It was Colonel Jagged Fel, Twin Suns two ever since Kyp Durron had stepped down to assist the other Jedi. Jag saluted out of habit. "If I may take a moment of your time to discuss the squadron's performance in today's drills?" he asked.  
  
"Of course."  
  
They left the hanger and went down the hall to an empty conference room. Once inside Jaina slid her arms around him and kissed him. "So? How did it go?" she asked, resting her head on his chest.  
  
"Well, all of our problems will be solved on one condition."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"That you never get killed and leave the squadron temporarily leaderless."  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"No, actually we did everything perfectly. I'm just saying that it would be a terrible inconvenience if you did."  
  
"I'm flattered," she grumbled sarcastically, pulling away from him. "My existence has been reduced to being convenient." They both jumped as Jaina's comlink beeped. She activated it. "Solo."  
  
"Jaina, I need to have a word with you in my office." It was Wedge. "And if Jag's with you, bring him too." Jag raised an eyebrow as the comlink went silent. "Uncanny," he murmured. "My uncle is showing signs of telepathy." 


	3. Chapter 3

Five minutes later they were in Wedge's office. "We," he began slowly, "have a bit of a problem."  
  
"Define problem," Jaina said.  
  
"That's what the problem is. We don't know. Jaina, remember when you were escorting Jade Shadow in earlier today and you called in to tell me what your brother said? About how they were attacked in the Tatooine system?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Let me guess," Jag broke in. "You want the Twin Suns to go and investigate?"  
  
"In a word, yes. But not the whole squadron. Just take a few pilots. Three or four. Specifically, I want you two in there."  
  
"Why us?"  
  
"Jaina, you're a Jedi. You're supposed to be good at this sort of thing. Jag, you have this annoying but useful ability to predict what your enemies are going to do. Get a few more people, some pilots, maybe a Jedi."  
  
"Though I fail to see your logic in that, sure. Whatever," she answered with a shrug. "Any suggestions?"  
  
"I would hope that you would know your own squadron and the Jedi well enough to be able to pick someone."  
  
Jaina leaned back in her chair, thoughtful. "Piggy, maybe?"  
  
Jag shook his head. "I doubt he'd be too willing."  
  
"What about that new pilot you snagged a few weeks ago?" Wedge asked.  
  
"Lieutenant Iod?"  
  
"That's the one. A good chance for him to get his feet wet. Drills can only take a person so far. They have to be able to do something out there in the real world."  
  
Jaina grimaced doubtful. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Taking an untried pilot like that?"  
  
"Jaina, if everyone in the galaxy evaluated pilots as slowly as you would like to, there wouldn't be any military, only a military-in- training."  
  
"He has a point," added Jag. "I've seen him in drills and simulations. He certainly knows what he's doing."  
  
"Tek Iod it is, then," Wedge said. "What about Jedi? Anyone come to mind?"  
  
"Several, actually, but I can almost guarantee you that none of them will want to go. Tahiri isn't that great flying. Zekk and Jacen are, of course, all anti-violence. Besides, they just got back. Luke and Mara? The answer is in the question." She sighed and her eyes fell out of focus. "I can think of one person who would have been perfect, and I know he would have jumped at this in a second. Anakin." She blinked a couple times before recovering. "I can't think of anyone."  
  
"Ask around. There has to be someone around who will go."  
  
"Danni."  
  
"Just let me know once you've talked to her." 


	4. Chapter 4

"I still think this is a bad idea," Jaina murmured to Jag, looking across the hanger at Tek. "I don't think I can trust this kid with my life, if it comes down to that."  
  
"It won't. Don't worry about it. By the way, you can hardly call him a kid. He's older than you by about a year."  
  
"That's beside the point."  
  
"Jaina, just cut him some slack. Give him a chance to either justify your concerns or prove you wrong."  
  
"Just wait and see that I'm right."  
  
She crossed to her ship and climbed in. "Okay, Cappie, run a quick test of all systems..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jaina stood on the hanger floor and looked around. It had been a long time since she had been on Tatooine. "I still find it hard to believe my grandfather and my uncle used to live on this dead rock. I don't know how they could stand it," she muttered to Danni. "Just sand, sand, and more sand, as far as the eye can see."  
  
"Sand, Hutts, and Jawas. How can you ask for anything more?"  
  
"So how do we start? Who do we talk to first?" Tek asked them.  
  
"Calm down, kid. Your as jumpy as a gundark with a grenade shoved up his tail. We ask the locals a few casual questions while pretending to be traders from the far outer rim."  
  
"I suggest one of the cantinas," Jag said. "A lot of people there, most are of sub average intelligence, so they might let some things accidentally slip."  
  
"And it helps that everyone will probably be intoxicated," Danni added.  
  
"Both excellent points," Jaina agreed. "Come on."  
  
It didn't take too long to find a cantina. They were all over the place. The one Jaina chose was poorly lit and rather smelly. "Okay, spread out and see what you can find out," she murmured to her companions.  
  
She opened her senses to the whole room. There were about twenty-five people in here, all in various states of an alcohol-induced stupor. She frowned slightly as she sorted through the thoughts and emotions she was receiving. She wanted to find someone who probably wouldn't remember her tomorrow but wasn't so drunk that they couldn't tell her anything useful.  
  
Her eyes rested on an unshaven young man. He was hardly sober, based on the empty glasses surrounding him, and no doubt very shallow. This would work to her advantage. She walked over to him and tapped the table. "Mind if I sit here?" He stared at her for a moment, and Jaina knew he wasn't looking at her face. "If ye want," he mumbled, his speech slurred.  
  
"I just got into port. Can you tell me if anything interesting has happened around here lately?"  
  
"I ain't from 'round here. All I knows is that this glass is empty, so I need a new one. Care to buy me another round?"  
  
"I'm afraid I'll have to decline." She stood and left, annoyed. So much for that being any help. She caught Danni's eye from across the room. The other woman shook her head. Nothing there, either. She jumped as Jag said from behind her, "I think I have found a lead. Come with me."  
  
"Don't sneak up on me like that."  
  
He led her over to a table in a darkened corner of the room where a Chiss in a military uniform was sitting. Two Rodian bodyguards stood behind the blue-skinned being. "Please, sit," he said, gesturing to two chairs across from him. Jaina obeyed. "You know something about attacks on departing vessels?" she asked. To her disappointment, he said, "That is a negative. I know nothing of that. However, I am eager to serve the son of the great General Fel, and since he serves you, I will tell you that there are strange things going on.  
  
"Several things come to mind. First of all, though I doubt it is related to your search, the Tusken raiders are causing a lot of problems. People leave the city and get attacked. A group of traders is trying to hire people to, shall we say, put them down. They have an office a few buildings down from here. Second, there have been a few rumors of underground spice sales. Technically it is illegal here, but there is no such thing as an enforced law on Tatooine."  
  
"Underground spice sales? That has a nasty ring to it. Where can I learn more about that?"  
  
"If you think I would know that sort of thing, you insult me," the Chiss growled at her. "I assure you I have more class than that. Ask some of the low-lifes around here, they aren't that hard to find."  
  
"Thank you, good sir. And my apologies if I have insulted you."  
  
The Chiss officer stood and gestured to his guards, who followed him out of the shadowy cantina. Jag gave her a hard look. "Nice one, Jaina. Accuse him of associating with illegal spice venders."  
  
"I wasn't accusing him."  
  
"Whether you meant to or not, you did. And why did you shudder as he was leaving?"  
  
"Did I? I was struck by how similar he looked to the holos I've seen of Grand Admiral Thrawn."  
  
"And is there something wrong with that? Thrawn was a tactical genius, the quintessence of Chiss military."  
  
"Yes, during a time when the Chiss were hardly aligned with the Republic. I think my reasons for disliking him are very much justified. But why bother digging up ancient history?"  
  
"Jaina, we were both alive when he was still in power. That isn't ancient."  
  
"Alive but infants. By the way, why are we trusting him?"  
  
"I know him. He's on leave right now, but he usually serves as one of my father's advisors. Now let's go find Danni and Iod." 


	5. Chapter 5

Jag glanced behind him at Tek, still twitching nervously. Maybe Jaina was right. Maybe it was a mistake to bring him. "Follow my lead and don't say anything," he muttered to the younger man. He caught himself at that thought. Tek was only a few months younger. He suddenly understood Jaina's reflex to keep calling him a kid.  
  
The building was a refreshing change from the desert outside. There was air circulation and vegetation in here. Jag dropped into the character of a spacer, knowing full well that he looked years older than twenty-three. He strode to a circulation desk across from the door, mimicking how he had seen Han Solo and Lando Calrissian walk.  
  
The man behind the desk didn't try to hide his sneer. He was dressed neater than anyone had a right to be when on Tatooine. His hair was slicked back with excessive amounts of gel. "May I help you?" he asked in an oily voice, somehow managing to look down his nose at Tek and Jag even though they were both taller than him.  
  
"I hear you're having problems with the Tuskens," Jag said, sliding into a Corellian accent.  
  
"And you think that you could possibly assist? I am doubtful."  
  
"I know how to shoot bloodthirsty scavengers. I can hit a target ten out of ten times."  
  
"Or so you boast. For proof of each one you kill, you get fifty credits."  
  
"Only fifty? If you know what's good for you, you'll give me a hundred."  
  
"We will pay you fifty, or we won't pay you at all."  
  
"Fine. I'll renegotiate when I get back, bringing the chieftain's staff." The man's only response was a dubious snort. He very pointedly turned away from them, hinting in no subtle way that they should leave.  
  
"Come on," Jag muttered.  
  
"Now what? Do we go kill Sand People?" Tek began asking outside.  
  
"Sadly, no. We're with two Jedi, remember? We can't attack without a reason. But if they set upon us first, we'll be defending our lives, and that's considered a plausible excuse. If we're lucky, it'll come to that."  
  
"Colonel Solo would have your head if she heard you say that."  
  
"So take care that she doesn't hear it. If something accidentally slips, it'll be your head that rolls, not mine."  
  
"What's that stink?" Tek asked abruptly. Jag sniffed and noticed a sharp scent beginning to drift past. He recognized the tang of ozone, suggesting recent blaster fire. Tek gestured down an alley. "Smells like it's coming from over there."  
  
Jag nodded and drew his blaster. Tek followed suit. The alley was shadowed and dark. As they went farther in, Jag became aware of a stench like burned meat. Then he saw them.  
  
The two Rodians were first, both bearing still smoking blaster wounds. "Emperor's black bones," Tek hissed. Jag swallowed. He felt a bit sick. Before him on the ground lay the Chiss officer. He rested his fingers against his neck, but there was no pulse. The being's red eyes stared dully up at the sliver of sky above. He was dead. 


	6. Chapter 6

Danni glanced at Jaina. "See anything yet?"  
  
"Nope, not yet."  
  
The four were sitting in the minimal shade provided by a parked speeder. Jaina was scanning the horizon with microbinoculars, intent on finding some sort of movement that would suggest Sand People.  
  
Danni leaned against the speeder with a sigh. Jag's face when he told them about the Chiss still haunted her. She had known him long enough to know that his expression rarely betrayed him, so it would have taken a lot for his face to appear that ashy and drawn.  
  
Jaina groaned and shoved the binoculars at Tek. "Take these. My eyes are crossing."  
  
"Yes, Colonel."  
  
She leaned back, mimicking Danni's posture, and closed her eyes. Her face had tanned slightly, leaving an outline of the binoculars on her forehead. "How long have we been out here?"  
  
"About three hours," Jag answered.  
  
"One more and I'm calling it quits for the day. Two weeks ago, if someone had told me I would be sitting in the middle of the desert on Tatooine, I would have said they were crazy."  
  
Danni tried to respond, but all that came out was a mumble. The warm breeze lulled her into a sleep she didn't even notice until Jaina was shaking her, telling her to wake up. Her voice sounded anxious. Through the Force, the younger woman seemed disconnected, as she seemed to be before space fights.  
  
"What's going on?" Danni asked, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Tuskens." Jaina thrust the binoculars in front of Danni's face. "Over there."  
  
Danni looked. Two other speeders were stopped on the next dune, one with smoke pouring out of the engine compartment. She could see flashes of blaster fire. Even from over here, the sound of the Tuskens' battle cry was clearly audible.  
  
"Come on!" Jag called to them, drawing a blaster in each hand. He and Tek were already halfway down their hill, course set for the fight. Jaina pulled Danni to her feet and ran after them.  
  
The Jedi Force-pulled their lightsabers into hand, and Danni smelled the familiar tang of ozone as the blades snap-hissed into existence. They caught the Sand People completely off guard in the left flank. Danni quickly realized that while they were strong adversaries, they were not up at a level to compete with Jedi. Their attacks were predictable and easy to repel.  
  
In only a matter of minutes, a number of the Sand People were lying on the ground, dead, and the others were fleeing. Jaina disengaged her lightsaber and started walking over to the speeders. Several people were standing by them. One looked at her and raised his blaster.  
  
"Not another move."  
  
Jaina stopped, her expression confused. "Drop your weapons." Jaina obeyed and motioned to the others to do the same. She slowly raised her hands and began speaking in a low, calming voice. "You don't want to do that." It was a voice Danni had heard her use when trying to reason with overbearing politicians and her two-year-old cousin. The man clicked the safety off of the blaster. "I think that I do."  
  
He squeezed the trigger.  
  
With reflexes almost too fast for Danni to see, Jaina dove out of the way. The blast was, to Danni's immense surprise, was actually a stun shot. But the surprise didn't last long. She rolled behind a rock and pulled her lightsaber out once more. The man fired again at Jaina. She dodged, and the bolt caught Tek in the chest. He fell to the ground with a groan.  
  
The others by the speeders began attacking, also firing with blasters set for stun. Jaina grabbed Tek's arm and pulled him out of the line of fire. Danni used the Force to throw two of the people backwards, but one she had failed to notice lifted a weapon and fired.  
  
Danni knew no more... 


	7. Chapter 7

"Wake up.........kid......." Tek heard the voice coming in and out of hearing, the volume rising and falling. How peculiar. "Hey..........wake up....."  
  
"What?" he groaned.  
  
"Come on, wake up."  
  
He blinked a few times, the world coming back into shape. "Where am I?"  
  
"The classic cliché. You're in a cheap hotel with a very bad smell coming in from the hallway." His eyes cleared and he recognized Jaina sitting on a chair across from him. "What happened?"  
  
"Rather an interesting story. You got shot; they stunned you. We held them off for a bit, then three all fired at Danni at the same time. One got through. Meanwhile, I pulled you behind a rock. After a moment or so Ja-, I mean Col. Fel, went down. For some reason, they stopped firing. They have Danni and Fel captive, but somehow managed to overlook the two of us."  
  
"So where are they?"  
  
"How am I supposed to know that? They headed east. There's an entire planet over there to be searched."  
  
"Well, they can't have gotten too far. How long have they been gone?"  
  
"As of five minutes ago, twelve hours." Tek gave a low whistle. "But during that time I ran a few simulations over there." She pointed to a small computer sitting on a tarnished metal table. "Nothing yet, but General Antilles has, many times, said that one should always remain optimistic. It confuses your enemies."  
  
"Why, are they spying on us?"  
  
"Not likely, but that's the other thing he has said. Assume they are."  
  
A tone sounded from a portable communications system Jaina had taken with them from her X-wing. She leaned over and hit a switch. "Solo here."  
  
"Jaina, this is General Antilles." Both Jaina and Tek jumped to their feet as the face of the general materialized on the table. "How are things going there?"  
  
"Things? They're going fine." Tek could see her hands twisting nervously behind her back. "Everything is under control."  
  
"Have you found anything of interest?"  
  
"Yes. There has been increased hostile activity from the Tusken Raiders as well as rumors of an illegal spice trade."  
  
"Interesting." Wedge frowned. "Can I speak to Fel a moment?"  
  
"Fel? A moment?" A few beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. "Um, he's not here right now."  
  
Wedge's frown deepened as he said, "Indeed, and why not? Where is he?"  
  
"I, um, kind of, well, don't know." She gave a short, nervous laugh.  
  
"What do you mean, you don't know?" An edge crept into the general's voice.  
  
"Well, you see, the thing is..."  
  
"Jaina, answer me. What has happened that you wouldn't know where he is? I see Iod, but what about Danni?" Her silence gave the obvious answer. "Jaina, please tell me that you didn't manage to lose your two biggest resources for this mission. Tell me what happened!"  
  
Hesitantly at first, Jaina began her explanation of the encounter with the Sand People. Wedge let a silence fall when she had finished. He regarded her sternly, his forehead wrinkling deeply. "I must admit that I am very disappointed. I thought that, as you were a Jedi and had done much more difficult things, that you would be able to do something like this. I guess I was mistaken. I'm sending reinforcements."  
  
"Please, sir, don't bother. The situation is under control. I can handle it."  
  
"Under control? Don't kid yourself. Two of your people, half of your strike team, is missing. I can have people there in two days. At least try to stay alive until then."  
  
There was a second of static before the image went blank. Jaina sank back into her chair, her expression grim. "It's not that bad," Tek said, trying to sound comforting. "We'll find them."  
  
"By searching the whole planet? I am in such a hole. If the wrong people get wind of this, there could be a court-martial in it for me."  
  
"You won't get court-martialled."  
  
"Not to mention a loss of my command of the Twin Suns."  
  
"Now that one I'm not so sure about."  
  
"Then there's the part where General Fel swears revenge for my losing his son in the middle of a desert."  
  
"I hate to say it, but that's highly probable."  
  
Jaina groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I'm doomed."  
  
"Not if we find them before reinforcements get here."  
  
"That only gives us two days."  
  
"Yes, but we might as well give it a try."  
  
"You're right," she sighed. "And we won't get anywhere sitting around here. Come one."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"To talk to the Tusken Raiders." 


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you insane?!" Tek shouted. "While we're at it, let's find some Vong and give them an amphistaff, all the while saying, 'Here I am! Target practice for you! Come on and kill me!' Trying to reason with the Tuskens is suicide!"  
  
"I'm not going to reason with them; I'm going to force them to answer my questions."  
  
"And just how do you propose to do that?"  
  
"I'm a Jedi, remember?"  
  
"So you think they'll go along with what you say just because of that?"  
  
"No, but I'll convince them that they should. Any chance you can understand whatever slaughtered language it is they speak?"  
  
"Hardly."  
  
"Shame. That complicates things."  
  
"Colonel, I mean no disrespect, but do you really intend to find someone who can communicate with them? No one can."  
  
"I'm sure there is someone. They probably aren't entirely sane; they couldn't be if they went to the trouble of learning it. Most likely they would have lived here their entire life. A moisture farmer, perhaps, though they are stereotypically stubborn. Better yet, the kid of a farmer."  
  
"How is that?"  
  
"Well, they'll be eager to get off and have adventure, right? You must remember that I am related to someone who grew up tending moisture vaporators."  
  
"May I ask how you intend to convince such a person? Your efforts in the cantina were less than successful."  
  
"I have other methods," Jaina said with a glare. "Come on. We have to find someone."  
  
"I'm no longer asking if you're insane," Tek said when they were outside. "I know you are."  
  
"That's why I'm a squadron leader." She squinted around the street. There were many people out here, most dressed in either flight suits in need of cleaning or garments the same color as the sand around them.  
  
"This won't work," Tek muttered.  
  
"Oh relax. A solution always presents itself."  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am," someone suddenly mumbled behind them. "I was wondering if you could help me?" They turned to see a red-haired, teenage boy of average height and build. "Do you know if the Republic military has an outpost in the city?" Jaina gave Tek a look that clearly said, "I told you so."  
  
To the boy she said, "I have no knowledge of a base here, but I am an officer of the Republic. Perhaps I can help you?"  
  
"Ma'am, I wish to join."  
  
"That takes a bit more than just walking up to someone on the streeet. There is a lot of paper work involved, background checks and whatnot. Are you a pilot?"  
  
"No, but I can shoot real well."  
  
"I see." She squinted at him. "Where are you from?"  
  
"My father is a farmer a short ways outside the city." Tek resisted the urge to comment on Jaina's correct prediction. Once more, she shot him that superior look.  
  
"Do you have a name?"  
  
"I am Iro Rizzardi."  
  
"How old are you, Iro?"  
  
"Seventeen, ma'am."  
  
"A little young to join, aren't you?" Tek asked.  
  
"Not necessarily," Jaina broke in. "I was recruited for the Rogues when I was that age. Well, I can't promise you anything. You'd have to talk to a recruiting officer. Then again..." Her voice trailed off as if thinking, but Tek realized it was all a ruse. "Tell me something. Have you had much conctact with the Tuskens?"  
  
"I have."  
  
"Can you speak their language?"  
  
"Enough of it."  
  
A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. "I'm willing to make a deal with you. I will try to locate the officer closest to here if you help me. Agreed?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am!"  
  
"One thing, Iro."  
  
"Ma'am?"  
  
"Never call me ma'am again." 


	9. Chapter 9

Danni groaned and rubbed her temples, trying to will the pain to leave. It didn't work. She never liked being stunned; it gave an awful headache afterwards. Kyp Durron had once made the comment that stun bolts left one feeling worse than a hangover did. She didn't ask the unsavory question as to how he knew that.  
  
Resigned to the pounding, she glanced around the room. It was bare and empty save for a single table, a small wooden stool, and a door. She had already found this to be locked, and even with the proper tools she wouldn't have been able to pick it. She had little skill at that sort of thing.  
  
Danni stood with a sigh and walked over to the door. A small panel allowed her to speak to the guard without. "You know you want to let us out of here," she said, making a small waving motion. The guard only snorted. She tried again, to no avail.  
  
"No matter how many times you do that he is never going to let you out," a slightly muffled voice said from the corner. Danni ignored Jag's pessimistic remark. "You want to open the door," she murmured. "You want to let us out."  
  
"You've been doing that for three hours. Don't you know when to give up? It will never work. There are more useful things you could be doing with your time."  
  
"Such as wallowing in self-pity?" she asked with a smirk.  
  
"I am not 'wallowing', as you say. Just because I choose not to move doesn't mean I'm not trying to think of a way out."  
  
"And a lot of good it has done us."  
  
"It has done as much good as your trying to control the guard's mind."  
  
"You have your methods; I have mine."  
  
"I'd thank you to go about your methods silently. There are two of us in here, in case you hadn't noticed."  
  
She threw him a rude hand gesture, but he wasn't watching. She returned to her attempts.  
  
Suddenly, the door swung open. Danni gave Jag a superior smile. It disappeared when the guard began speaking. "You done been summoned. Follow me." He led them down a labyrinth of corridors so twisted Danni completely lost her sense of direction. He stopped by an open door and gestured for them to enter.  
  
Immediately, Danni felt a chill pass through her. This room was so cold it was hard to believe she was still on the desert planet of Tatooine. "Spice needs to be kept at a temperature near the freezing point of water," Jag commented softly.  
  
"Strange that they would choose to put a facility like this in a desert baking under two suns, if that is the case," Danni answered. "Shh." A tall woman with dark hair and brown eyes that seemed almost too large was walking towards them. Danni frowned. That was a symptom of spice addiction. Then again, the thought shouldn't have been all that surprising.  
  
"I suppose I should welcome you," she said.  
  
"Who are you?" Jag demanded.  
  
"I don't think you're in a position to be asking the questions, Colonel Jagged Fel." Jag's already pale face became a shade paler. She smiled wickedly and held of a flat, square object about the size of her fist. "Recognize this?"  
  
"My wallet..."  
  
Her smile widened as she continued, "You currently fly with the Twin Suns Squadron, are originally from Chiss space, and are twenty-three."  
  
"Good work, you memorized part of my military ID. Now tell me, what was the name of the building I lived in between the ages of seven and twelve?"  
  
"You're mocking me. I advise you to stop."  
  
"Really? Or else what? You pretend to know much about me, but such an empty threat implies you don't. Also, you seem not to know that I am acquainted with several Jedi on this planet."  
  
"If you mean her," she gestured to Danni, "then you have forgotten how little of a fight she put up on the surface."  
  
"She is one, but I know others."  
  
"Such as who?"  
  
"Perhaps I wish to keep you in suspense."  
  
"Trust me, you don't. Tell me who."  
  
"Solo."  
  
The woman gaped at him. She mouthed soundlessly for a few seconds before stammering, "Which one?"  
  
"Jaina."  
  
She narrowed her eyes slightly, frowning in thought. "Really."  
  
"I take it you know her?" Danni asked, mind already racing to find a way to push this to their advantage.  
  
"We have met." She gestured to one of the guards and muttered in a voice too low for Danni to hear. The guard nodded and barked an order to the others to escort Jag and Danni back to their cell. "Hardly a polite introduction," Danni said grimly.  
  
*******  
  
The woman with the dark hair watched them go. If they were telling the truth, if Jaina actually was here, that would mean one of two things. She had no doubt that the younger woman would find this place; she was very resourceful. If and when Jaina arrived, she would either grant some form of mercy to an old friend, or she would come down on them so hard it made their eyes spin. The woman grimaced. It would probably be the latter. Jaina's anger at her one-time friend's involvement would undoubtedly seal the group's fate.  
  
She shook her head and left the room, heading for her quarters to think. "Anja will not be caught with her eyes and ears closed," she hissed. 


End file.
